The best way to show your appreciation towards a person is to gift them with something valuable on their special days like birthdays and such. However, finding a perfect gift that they will end up liking can be tricky since you have to take into various factors like their preferences, culture etc. into consideration. Below, we look at seven such tips you should keep in mind when gifting someone.
Know Their Likes And Dislikes
The first thing you should know is the person’s likes and dislikes. While giving a gift that the person will like is of importance, a matter of even greater importance is to ensure that you never gift something that they dislike. So, try to learn as much as you can about their preferences and you will be in a better position to select a suitable gift. If you are unsure about a person’s likes and dislikes, then a good way to know it is by checking their Facebook profile. For example, if you find that they have liked pages related to Michael Jackson, then you can be pretty sure that they are a big fan of the pop star. As such, if you find any Michael Jackson memorabilia on eBay, then gifting it would be ideal.
Make It Eventful
What makes a gift special is not only the gift item but also how it is gifted. There is a big difference between giving someone a gift while they are alone in an office and giving the gift when the person is surrounded by their workmates cheering them. The latter will obviously be more memorable and make a greater impact in the mind of the person. So, make sure that you set up the gifting environment in a way that will make the person not only remember your gift but also how it was gifted.
Add Personal Touch
An easy way to make a gift more special is to add a personal touch to it. For example, if you find that your loved one, named Mark, likes the books of Dan Brown, then you can go ahead a gift them a copy of author’s latest book. However, you can make it extra special by adding a special note in the beginning like ‘Wishing my dearest Mark a happy birthday. May our relationship last forever’ or something similar. By doing so, you have given the gift a personal touch. The book is no longer the exact same copy as the millions of other copies in circulation. Instead, it is a unique book that declares your love and affection towards a person. And such a gesture will truly be appreciated by your loved one.
Long Lasting
As far as possible, buy a gift that is long lasting. So, if your friend’s birthday is coming up, and you are thinking of buying them a big cake as a gift, think about other alternatives that will have a long-lasting value. For example, if they love music and you see them always hooked on to their headphones, then try finding a top-notch headphone that delivers world class sound. Not only will your friend appreciate it, but whenever they wear the headphone, they are likely to think of you since you gifted it to them. In addition, they will be able to use the gift for a long period of time. So, make sure your gift is long lasting and useful if you want it to be impactful.
Cultural Considerations
Always take the cultural differences into consideration when buying a gift for someone. For example, if you are a British national working in the Beijing office, and the birthday of one of your Chinese friends is coming up, you need to educate yourself as to the culture of China before you buy a gift. Only this can ensure that you don’t end up buying something that is considered offensive or condescending in their culture. So, avoid gifting anything wrapped in white since the color white is seen as a symbol of death in Chinese culture. And the last thing you want to do is to give a gift wrapped in white cloth to someone’s birthday. Sure, they might brush it off as your ignorance and maybe even laugh about it. But why risk creating an uncomfortable or insensitive situation? So, if the person you are gifting to is very different from your culture, then factor in the cultural difference before you give them the gift.
Employee Gifts
Are you the owner of a business who is planning to give a gift to an employee? If so, you can use this opportunity to strengthen the bond between your employee and the company. Let your HR department learn what the employee likes and buy something that fits your budget and the employee’s interests. You should then hold a small office meeting and then hand over the gift to them in the presence of other employees. Talk about how their work has been contributing to your business and helping the company grow. Doing so will not only ensure that you make the gift a memorable one for the employee, but they will also feel more indebted to your organization for the special care you have shown them.
Specificity
Finally, be as specific as possible when buying a gift for someone. Being vague about a gift will not help in finding the ideal gift for the person. For example, suppose that your brother’s birthday is coming up and you are planning on giving a car as a gift. Now, just knowing that you should buy a car is insufficient. You should know which model of car your brother like, which color of car he prefers and so on. Only then can you buy the perfect gift for your brother – a car that he had always wanted. Without knowing very well what the other person truly desires, you might end up buying something that the person may not be too fond of. Imagine that your brother likes a red Honda Civic, but you bought a blue Honda civic for his birthday. This can be a pretty awkward situation. So, know about the other person’s preferences in detail and you will not have to face such issues.